Tunkhannock Township Supervisors say some seasonal vendors have not paid their taxes to the township.
Chair George Ewald said Pocono Raceway and AirBnB owners pay their taxes, but some short-term vendors have fallen short over recent years. Supervisors blame Berkheimer Tax Innovations. Ewald said they allowed revenue to slip through the cracks.
“Berkheimer, we feel, has not done the job that we need done here,” said Ewald.
Township solicitor Harry Coleman said supervisors will draft an agreement with a new tax collector over the next few weeks. However, he said the township will keep their original contract with Berkheimer.
Supervisors will also review a new tax amusement ordinance before their May meeting, according to Coleman. The ordinance will be a variation of Bethlehem’s rule. Coleman stressed supervisors to set strict guidelines for temporary vendors.
“The bottom line is, you want to get them early, before they even sing a song or whatever the event may be, they need a permit. And we want to make sure that before they get that permit, there’s a good faith, decent-sized payment,” said Coleman. “And then, whatever the attendance is, that can always be added on at the end.”
The board said Elements Music Festival, Mud Girl Run and the Great Pocono Gun Show have not paid their Tunkhannock Township taxes.
Their next meeting is at the Tunkhannock Township Municipal Building on May 8 at 7 p.m.